Rotary spark gap



Dec. 29,, 1925.

F. G. NIECE ROTARY" SPARK GAP Filed March 24. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 29 1 925. 1,567,978

F. G. N lECE ROTARY SPARK GAP Filed March 24. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 which the Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

"UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

man a. macs, or CL VEL ND, onro.

. y ROTARY SPARK ear.

Application filed March 24, 1920. Serial No. 368,393.

Theobject of the present invention is the provision of a circuit making 'andbreak ing device of the type commercially .known as rotary spark gaps, in which overheating and unnecessary wear may be to a large extent eliminated by successively changing the contacts between which Tithe current jumpa I. 7

:To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fullv describedand particularly pointed out in the claims. the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting. however, but one 'of various mechanical forms in principle of'the invention may be used. I v

I Tnsaid annexed drawin'gr -Fi2. 1 is a front elevat-icn of one anproved'form of my improved rotary spark gap: Fig.2 is a side view of'the' same as viewedfrom the left in Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to that of Fig.1. but,v showing a modified form ctconstructionr and Figsp4. 5 and 6. and'Fio's. 7. 8 and 9 respectively tions.

Referrin zfirst of all to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. the rotating element is in the form of arim! or annulus 1 of suitable conducting material. such ring carrving a nluralitv of spark points or contacts 2 equidistantlv spaced about its periphery. The ring is mounted ona suitable driving: shaft 3bv means of an insulating disk 4. said shaft bein if desired. the spindle of a suitable electric motor (not shown). so as to require no separate hearing support.

illustrate two other modifi a;

Surrounding ring 1 is a second ring split in two sections 5. 5. that are insulated from each other and from the common supporting base 6 that need not be described 111" do Rotary Spark Gaps,

tail. These outer ring parts, which it will thus be seen are stationary, like the rotary ring 1, carrying a plurality of contacts or spark points 7 equidistantly spaced about the circumference of such outer ring, regarded as an entirety, and projecting inwardly therefrom soas to properly clear the'points 2 on said rotary ring as the latter revolves.

The twosections=5 of said outer ring are. of course connected with the respective leads of the circuit so that the current will be caused to jump from one or the other of said contacts 7 to an adjacently disposed contact 2 on ring 1,. then from another such contact 2 to an adjacently disposedcontact 7 on the other outer ring scction'5. Tn the constructional form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be observed there are eight such contacts or spark points 2 equidistantly disposed about ring 1, and'six'such contacts 7 equidis'tantly disposed about the two-part ring: 5. Accordingly. the sparks across the gaps betwen the two members will spring between different contacts or points in succession. thus preventing overheating and unnecessary wear. each pair. following sparking. being allowed suflicient time to cool before current passes therebetween the next time. It will be understood that the number of contacts orpoints is a matter ofindiflerence so lone as the one member carriestwo 'or a multiple thereof. and the other carries three or a multiple thereof; or any other two consecutive numerals,

In the modified construct-ion illustrated in Fin. 3 the inner ring 1 is duplicate in its construction and mounting ot' the correspondins'r rinor in the first described construction. However. the'outer ring. instead of beinxr divided simply into two parts, is shown as divided into six parts 10. respectively insulated from each other. and each carrying a contact or spark point 11. In this construction; oppositely disposed outer ring' parts 10 may be connected in different circuits. with the result that current is allowed to flow through such circuits across the spark .qaps created between contacts 11 and successively adiacentlv disposed contacts 2 on the rotatino: ring 1. thus permitting: the use. in this instanceof three separate circuits in the same sparkpap, without interference. 4

Instead of disposing the electrodes in radial fashion as shown both in Figure 1 and Figure 3, I may arrange the same to pro ject laterally from the member carrying the same whether such member be rotatable or stationary. Thus, in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6, I show two sets of electrodes 15 and 16 thus laterally projecting from the adjacent faces of two carrying members 17 and 18 respectively. Such carrying members are furthermore both rotatably mounted being carriedby suitable spindles 19 and 9), respectively, justas the ringl is carried in the case of the two previously described" constructions; The number of electrodes and their spatial dlS'pO SitlOII about the member's ciil yliig the same will be determined in accordance with the principl previously explained; the result being that a. shifting of the spark gap occurs as the members are rotat'e'd. This would be true,- of course;-i-f=only onemember were rotated, but by" rotatin tlllil' both and in opp'ositedirectiofis, a more rapid n'iakeand-break action is secured with the result that the capacity of the device is measurably increased. Current may be suppliedtomemhere 17 and 18 in any suitable manner as by brushes 21 and 22, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4..

In the modification illustratedin Figs. 7, 8' and 9, while I utilize the feature of laterally disposed electrodes, only one set of these, viz, electrodes 25, are carried by the" rotatable member 26; Instead,then, of hav ing diametrically disposed pairs of sta tiona ry electrodes; as' shown in Fig. 3', for example. I utilize pairs of stationary elec trodes 27 transversely disposed of theplane ofrotatio'n ofsaid electrodes25. These elec trodes are in" pairs, each pair being, it desired, in a separate circuit and as an elec' tro'd'e 25 is brought in juxtaposition with any such pair, the gap is sufficiently shortenedto permitthe current to jump across. In

this construction it is necessary to utilize" only one-half as many rotatlng electrodes" as in the construction of said Fig. 3," in or'der to handle the same number of circuits. Accordingly, the number carried'by the rotatable member and the number of pairs stationarily mounted will diite'r only by one instead of two, as in the previously described construction, whe'rethe number 0t electrodes in the tvvosets respectively con'sist Other modes of applying the principle of] my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followihgclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I thereforeparticularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention r 1. In a device of the character described. the combination of a. plur'ality'ot pairs of stationarily supported electrodes disposed in equidistantly spaced circular relation; and a" plurality of pairs of 'rotata'bly supported electrodes disposed in equidistantly spaced circular relation, said stationary set comprising an odd number of pairs of electrodes, oppositely lying electrodes beingot opposite sign, and said rotatable set com prising an even number of pairs of electrodes all electrically connected together.

2. In a device of thecha-racter described thecombination of a plurality of" pairs of station-arily supported electrodes disposedin equ-idistantly spaced circular relation; and a-- plurality of pairs of rotatably supported electrodes disposed in equidistantly spaced circular relation, said stationary set com prising an oddnumber of pairs of-electrod'es oppositely lying electrodes being of opposite sign, with insulation interposed therebetween, said rotatable set comprising an even number of pairs ofele'ctrodes but a greater number of pairs than saidstationary set, all the electrodes of said rotatable set being electrically'connec'ted together.

Signed by me this 13th day of March FRED G. NIECE. 

